Rob Steinhttp://wesa.fm
enSeasons May Tweak Genes That Trigger Some Chronic Diseaseshttp://wesa.fm/post/seasons-may-tweak-genes-trigger-some-chronic-diseases
The seasons appear to influence when certain genes are active, with those associated with inflammation being more active in the winter, according to new research released Tuesday.<p>A study involving more than 16,000 people found that the activity of about 4,000 of those genes appears to be affected by the season, researchers <a href="http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/ncomms8000">reported</a> in the journal <em>Nature Communications</em>.Tue, 12 May 2015 17:35:30 +0000Rob Stein47827 at http://wesa.fmDNA 'Printing' A Big Boon To Research, But Some Raise Concernshttp://wesa.fm/post/dna-printing-big-boon-research-some-raise-concerns
Here's something that might sound strange: There are companies now that print and sell DNA.<p>This trend — which uses the term "print" in the sense of making a bunch of copies speedily — is making particular stretches of <a href="http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/dna">DNA</a> much cheaper and easier to obtain than ever before.Thu, 07 May 2015 20:59:00 +0000Rob Stein47616 at http://wesa.fmDNA 'Printing' A Big Boon To Research, But Some Raise ConcernsFeds Say It's Time To Cut Back On Fluoride In Drinking Waterhttp://wesa.fm/post/feds-say-its-time-cut-back-fluoride-drinking-water
Federal health officials Monday changed the recommended amount of fluoride in drinking water for the first time since 1962, cutting by almost half the maximum amount of fluoride that should be added to drinking supplies.<p>The Department of Health and Human Services <a href="http://www.publichealthreports.org/documents/PHS_2015_Fluoride_Guidelines.pdf">recommended</a> 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water instead of the long-standing range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams.<p>"The change is recommended because now Americans have access to more sources of fluoride, such as toothpaste and mouth rMon, 27 Apr 2015 19:10:00 +0000Rob Stein47059 at http://wesa.fmFeds Say It's Time To Cut Back On Fluoride In Drinking WaterCritics Lash Out At Chinese Scientists Who Edited DNA In Human Embryoshttp://wesa.fm/post/critics-lash-out-chinese-scientists-who-edited-dna-human-embryos
For the first time, scientists have edited DNA in human embryos, a highly controversial step long considered off limits.<p>Junjiu Huang and his colleagues at the <a href="http://www.csc.edu.cn/studyinchina/universitydetailen.aspx?collegeId=70">Sun Yat-sen University</a> in Guangzhou, China, performed a series of experiments involving 86 human embryos to see if they could make changes in a gene known as HBB, which causes the sometimes fatal blood disorder <a href="http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/beta-thalassemia">beta-thalassemia.</a><p>The <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13Thu, 23 Apr 2015 13:45:00 +0000Rob Stein46874 at http://wesa.fmCritics Lash Out At Chinese Scientists Who Edited DNA In Human EmbryosWhy Do Mosquitoes Like To Bite You Best? It's In Your Geneshttp://wesa.fm/post/why-do-mosquitoes-bite-you-best-its-your-genes
A study that asked a few dozen pairs of twins to brave a swarm of hungry mosquitoes has revealed another clue to the cluster of reasons the insects are more attracted to some people than others: Genes matter.<p>"Twins that were identical were very similar in their level of attractiveness to mosquitoes, and twins that were [not identical] were very different in their level of attractiveness," says <a href="http://arctec.lshtm.ac.uk/about/team/james-logan">James Logan</a>, a medical entomologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine who led the <a href="http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/jWed, 22 Apr 2015 21:10:00 +0000Rob Stein46829 at http://wesa.fmWhy Do Mosquitoes Like To Bite You Best? It's In Your GenesScreening Tests For Breast Cancer Genes Just Got Cheaperhttp://wesa.fm/post/screening-tests-breast-cancer-genes-just-got-cheaper
A new California company announced Monday it is offering a much cheaper and easier way for women to get tested for genetic mutations that increase their risk for breast and ovarian cancer.<p><a href="https://getcolor.com/#/">Color Genomics</a> of Burlingame, Calif., has begun selling a $249 test that it says can accurately analyze a saliva sample for mutations in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, as well as check for 17 other genetic variants that have been associated with a somewhat increased risk for cancer of the breast or ovaries.<p>"Color's goal is to democratize access to genetic Tue, 21 Apr 2015 20:42:00 +0000Rob Stein46777 at http://wesa.fmScreening Tests For Breast Cancer Genes Just Got CheaperFDA Ponders Putting Homeopathy To A Tougher Testhttp://wesa.fm/post/fda-ponders-whether-homeopathy-medicine
It's another busy morning at Dr. Anthony Aurigemma's homeopathy practice in Bethesda, Md.<p>Wendy Resnick, 58, is here because she's suffering from a nasty bout of laryngitis. "I don't feel great," she says. "I don't feel myself."<p>Resnick, who lives in Millersville, Md., has been seeing <a href="http://www.anthonyaurigemma-md.com/">Aurigemma</a> for years for a variety of health problems, including ankle and knee injuries and back problems. "I don't know what I would do without him," she says.Mon, 20 Apr 2015 07:46:00 +0000Rob Stein46679 at http://wesa.fmFDA Ponders Putting Homeopathy To A Tougher TestUse Of E-Cigarettes Triples Among U.S. Teenshttp://wesa.fm/post/use-e-cigarettes-triples-among-us-teens
A national survey confirms earlier indications that e-cigarettes are now more popular among teenage students than traditional cigarettes and other forms of tobacco, federal health officials reported Thursday.<p>The findings prompted strong warnings from <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/about/leadership/director.htm">Dr.Thu, 16 Apr 2015 22:24:00 +0000Rob Stein46556 at http://wesa.fmUse Of E-Cigarettes Triples Among U.S. TeensWhy Knuckles Crackhttp://wesa.fm/post/why-knuckles-crack
<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHEcQluSzmM</p>Wed, 15 Apr 2015 21:04:00 +0000Rob Stein46486 at http://wesa.fmWhy Knuckles CrackWill A Transplanted Hand Feel Like His Own? Surgery Raises Questionshttp://wesa.fm/post/will-transplanted-hand-feel-his-own-surgery-raises-questions
When Kevin Lopez opens the door to his Greenbelt, Md., apartment to greet a visitor he's never before met, he initially conceals his right hand.<p>"I'm self-conscious, definitely, about my right hand," he says. But eventually Lopez relaxes.<p>"I was born like this," he says. "As you can see, I don't have any fingers." It bothers the 20-year-old enough that he has volunteered to do something drastic: to have his right hand removed and replaced with another person's hand via surgery.<p>"It's something I always wanted to do," Lopez says.Mon, 06 Apr 2015 20:06:00 +0000Rob Stein46008 at http://wesa.fmWill A Transplanted Hand Feel Like His Own? Surgery Raises QuestionsTobacco Firm Seeks Softer Warning For Cigarette Alternativehttp://wesa.fm/post/tobacco-firm-asks-fda-lift-warning-label-product
The Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether to allow a tobacco company to do something it's never done before — claim that one of its products is less risky than cigarettes.<p>The company, <a href="https://www.swedishmatch.com/">Swedish Match</a> of Stockholm, has applied to the FDA to designate its <a href="http://www.swedishmatch.com/en/Media/Articles/FDA-Seeks-Comments-on-the-Swedish-Match-MRTP-application/">General brand of snus</a> (rhymes with "loose") as safer than other versions of tobacco.<p>Snus are tiny cloth packages that look a little like tea bags.Wed, 01 Apr 2015 07:53:00 +0000Rob Stein45740 at http://wesa.fmTobacco Firm Seeks Softer Warning For Cigarette AlternativeScientists Urge Temporary Moratorium On Human Genome Editshttp://wesa.fm/post/scientists-urge-temporary-moratorium-human-genome-edits
A new technology called <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.2842.epdf?referrer_access_token=i6tER0wpb2_6Tbre5Or6ytRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OJcIZ7__2Sn3VS7nwM9l1l-DbAPx6z3drCRNbbL8obd-oC4xXF0MGEcDrih_--eBHOjpOj9bDAOHiYhBOqH6V1I5ht37p6zhNfFdOtpFLjaspoTz7FDGHjLhbijN3Wq4njNUG5D7lfFnnXym_6n4Zbl60m31BBS_8QEP3_O-93h2mvWo6AJP2BbsE9Mwu7wNE%3D&tracking_referrer=www.npr.org" target="_blank">CRISPR</a> could allow scientists to alter the human genetic code for generations. That's causing some leading biologists and bioethicists to sound an alarm.Fri, 20 Mar 2015 21:12:00 +0000Rob Stein45210 at http://wesa.fmScientists Urge Temporary Moratorium On Human Genome EditsBreast-Feeding Boosts Chances Of Success, Study In Brazil Findshttp://wesa.fm/post/breast-feeding-boosts-chances-success-study-brazil-finds
Babies who are breast-fed may be more likely to be successful in life, a provocative study published Tuesday suggests.<p>The study followed more than 3,000 babies into adulthood in Brazil.Tue, 17 Mar 2015 22:36:00 +0000Rob Stein45034 at http://wesa.fmBreast-Feeding Boosts Chances Of Success, Study In Brazil FindsFertility Clinic Courts Controversy With Treatment That Recharges Eggshttp://wesa.fm/post/toronto-infertility-clinic-offers-controversial-treatment
Melissa and her husband started trying to have a baby right after they got married. But nothing was happening. So they went to a fertility clinic and tried round after round of everything the doctors had to offer. Nothing worked.<p>"They basically told me, 'You know, you have no chance of getting pregnant,' " says Melissa, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect her privacy.<p>But Melissa, 30, who lives in Ontario, Canada, didn't give up. She switched clinics and kept trying.Thu, 05 Mar 2015 08:43:00 +0000Rob Stein44421 at http://wesa.fmFertility Clinic Courts Controversy With Treatment That Recharges EggsFDA Mandates Tougher Warnings On Testosteronehttp://wesa.fm/post/fda-mandates-tougher-warnings-testosterone
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it is requiring drugmakers to warn patients that testosterone products may increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.<p>Testosterone replacements are approved to treat men with low testosterone related to medical problems, such as genetic deficiencies, chemotherapy or damaged testicles.<p>But the level of the hormone can fall as men grow older. And testosterone is increasingly being prescribed to men to stave off aging, something the agency never approved.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:03:00 +0000Rob Stein44343 at http://wesa.fmFDA Mandates Tougher Warnings On TestosteroneInfections With Dangerous Gut Microbe Still On The Risehttp://wesa.fm/post/infections-dangerous-gut-microbe-still-rise
A potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal infection is more common than previously estimated, federal health officials reported Wednesday.<p>The infection, caused by <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_infect.html">a bacterium</a> known as <em>Clostridium difficile</em>, or <em>C-diff</em>, causes nearly 500,000 illnesses in the United States each year and kills about 29,000, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<p>The <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1408913?query=TOC">estimate</a>, based on an analysis of data collecteWed, 25 Feb 2015 22:37:00 +0000Rob Stein44036 at http://wesa.fmInfections With Dangerous Gut Microbe Still On The RiseFeeding Babies Foods With Peanuts Appears To Prevent Allergies http://wesa.fm/post/feeding-babies-foods-peanuts-appears-prevent-allergies
Babies at high risk for becoming allergic to peanuts are much less likely to develop the allergy if they are regularly fed foods containing the legumes starting in their first year of life.<p>That's according to a big new study released Monday involving hundreds of British babies.Mon, 23 Feb 2015 21:56:00 +0000Rob Stein43914 at http://wesa.fmKids, Allergies And A Possible Downside To Squeaky Clean Disheshttp://wesa.fm/post/kids-allergies-and-possible-downside-squeaky-clean-dishes
Could using a dishwashing machine increase the chances your child will develop allergies?Mon, 23 Feb 2015 05:41:00 +0000Rob Stein43868 at http://wesa.fmKids, Allergies And A Possible Downside To Squeaky Clean DishesFemale Libido Pill Fires Up Debate About Women And Sexhttp://wesa.fm/post/female-libido-pill-fires-debate-about-women-and-sex
For 15 years, Carla Price and her husband's sex life was great. But then things began to change.<p>"Before, I would want to have sex," says Price, who is 50 and lives in central Missouri. "But over the years my sexual desire has just dwindled to nothing."<p>Price has no idea why. She's healthy. She's not really stressed out about anything. And she's still totally crazy about her husband.<p>"It's not that our relationship got boring," Price says.Mon, 16 Feb 2015 21:09:00 +0000Rob Stein43563 at http://wesa.fmFemale Libido Pill Fires Up Debate About Women And SexHarnessing The Immune System To Fight Cancerhttp://wesa.fm/post/harnessing-immune-system-fight-cancer
When Barbara Marder was diagnosed with lung cancer three years ago, she had part of her right lung removed, went through a round of chemotherapy and tried to move on with her life.<p>"I had hoped that everything was fine — that I would not create difficulty for my children, that I would get to see my grandchildren grow up," says Marder, 73, of Arnold, Md.<p>But a routine scan a year later found bad news: The cancer was back — this time in her other lung.<p>"I was very disappointed," says Marder. She knew her prognosis was grim. "I decided at that point that ...Mon, 09 Feb 2015 08:33:00 +0000Rob Stein43133 at http://wesa.fmHarnessing The Immune System To Fight CancerU.K. Lawmakers Allow Scientists To Attempt 'DNA Transplants'http://wesa.fm/post/uk-lawmakers-allow-scientists-attempt-dna-transplants
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=U.K.+Lawmakers+Allow+Scientists+To+Attempt+%27DNA+Transplants%27&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAyOTk4OTc0MDEyNzcxNDIzMTZjM2E3Zg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: <p>The U.K. is on its way to become the first country to allow a procedure that uses genes from three adults to create babies. Lawmakers approved regulations allowing the procedure today, but it's been the subject of intense debate.Tue, 03 Feb 2015 21:37:00 +0000Rob Stein42868 at http://wesa.fmE-Cigarettes Can Churn Out High Levels Of Formaldehydehttp://wesa.fm/post/e-cigarettes-can-churn-out-high-levels-formaldehyde
Vapor produced by electronic cigarettes can contain a surprisingly high concentration of formaldehyde — a known carcinogen — researchers reported Wednesday.<p>The findings, described in a letter <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1413069">published</a> in the <em>New England Journal of Medicine,</em> intensify <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/12/16/371253640/teens-now-reach-for-e-cigarettes-over-regular-ones">concern</a> about the safety of electronic cigarettes, which have become increasingly popular.<p>"I think this is just one more piece of evidence amid a number of pieces oWed, 21 Jan 2015 22:08:00 +0000Rob Stein42213 at http://wesa.fmE-Cigarettes Can Churn Out High Levels Of FormaldehydeThis Year's Flu Vaccine Is Pretty Wimpy, But Can Still Helphttp://wesa.fm/post/years-flu-vaccine-pretty-wimpy-can-still-help
As expected, this year's flu vaccine looks like it's pretty much of a dud.<p>The vaccine only appears to cut the chances that someone will end up sick with the flu by 23 percent, according to the first estimate of the vaccine's effectiveness by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<p>The CDC had predicted this year's vaccine wouldn't work very well because the main strain of the flu virus that's circulating this year, known as an H3N2 virus, mutated slightly after the vaccine was created.Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:42:00 +0000Rob Stein41907 at http://wesa.fmThis Year's Flu Vaccine Is Pretty Wimpy, But Can Still HelpSpecialists Split Over HPV Test's Role In Cancer Screeninghttp://wesa.fm/post/specialists-split-over-hpv-tests-role-cancer-screening
Two medical groups say doctors could replace the Pap smear with a different test to screen many women for cervical cancer.<p>But that recommendation, included in an "interim guidance" released Thursday, is highly controversial; other experts call it premature.<p>For years, physicians have recommended that women routinely get Pap smears to catch any signs of cervical cancer early. That strategy, which requires taking a scraping of cervical cells to check for signs of abnormalities that can presage cancer, has significantly reduced the number of U.S.Thu, 08 Jan 2015 08:17:00 +0000Rob Stein41488 at http://wesa.fmSpecialists Split Over HPV Test's Role In Cancer ScreeningPotent Powdered Caffeine Raises Safety Worrieshttp://wesa.fm/post/potent-powdered-caffeine-raises-safety-worries
Wade Sweatt thought he had found a healthier way to get himself going in the morning. Instead of getting his daily jolt of caffeine from a cup of coffee or a Coke, Sweatt decided last summer to try mixing some powdered caffeine he'd bought via the Internet with some water or milk.<p>"Wade was very health-conscious, a very healthy person," says Sweatt's father, James. "His idea was, this was healthier than getting all the sugar and the sodium and ...Wed, 31 Dec 2014 08:28:00 +0000Rob Stein41109 at http://wesa.fmPotent Powdered Caffeine Raises Safety WorriesOne More Reason To Reach For A Paper Book Before Bedhttp://wesa.fm/post/one-more-reason-reach-paper-book-bed
E-readers may make it particularly hard to get a good night's sleep, according to research out this week.<p>A study that followed every nightly twitch, turn and snore of 12 volunteers for a couple weeks found that those who read from an iPad before hitting the sack had a harder time falling asleep, spent less time in a crucial phase of sleep, and were less alert the next day.<p>This is cause for concern because sleep disruptions may be associated with a variety of health problems, according to the study's leader, <a href="https://sleep.med.harvard.edu/people/faculty/179/Anne-Marie+Chang+PhD">AFri, 26 Dec 2014 21:26:00 +0000Rob Stein40963 at http://wesa.fmOne More Reason To Reach For A Paper Book Before BedMishandling Of Ebola Sample May Have Exposed CDC Technician To Virushttp://wesa.fm/post/mishandling-ebola-sample-may-have-exposed-cdc-technician-virus
Federal health officials are investigating an incident involving the mishandling of the Ebola virus at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters in Atlanta.<p>The incident involved the material used in an experiment with the Ebola virus, the CDC said in a statement released late Wednesday. The material was accidentally moved from a high-security lab to a low-security lab on Monday. As a result, there's a possibility that one lab technician may have been exposed to the virus.Wed, 24 Dec 2014 22:48:00 +0000Rob Stein40889 at http://wesa.fmMishandling Of Ebola Sample May Have Exposed CDC Technician To VirusFDA Allows Gay Men To Donate Bloodhttp://wesa.fm/post/fda-allows-gay-men-donate-blood
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=FDA+Allows+Gay+Men+To+Donate+Blood&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA0NTM3OTcyMDEyNjIwNDkzMjFhNTlkZg004)"/></div><p>Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:21:00 +0000Rob Stein40833 at http://wesa.fmBaby Thrives Once 3-D-Printed Windpipe Helps Him Breathehttp://wesa.fm/post/baby-thrives-once-3d-printed-windpipe-helps-him-breathe
Garrett Peterson was born in 2012 with a defective windpipe. It would periodically just collapse, because the cartilage was so soft, and he'd stop breathing. This would happen every day — sometimes multiple times a day.<p>"It was really awful to have to watch him go through his episodes," says his father, Jake Peterson of Layton, Utah. "He'd be fine and then all of a sudden start turning blue. It was just like watching your child suffocate over and over again."<p>It was so bad that Garrett couldn't leave the hospital; he spent more than a year in intensive care.Tue, 23 Dec 2014 08:29:00 +0000Rob Stein40782 at http://wesa.fmBaby Thrives Once 3-D-Printed Windpipe Helps Him BreatheCDC Warns That The Flu Season May Be A Bad Onehttp://wesa.fm/post/cdc-warns-flu-season-may-be-bad-one
We may be in for a nasty flu season. That's the warning out today from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<p>The CDC is worried because the most common strain of flu virus circulating in the United States is one called <a href="http://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00374.asp">H3N2</a>.Thu, 04 Dec 2014 17:07:00 +0000Rob Stein39789 at http://wesa.fmCDC Warns That The Flu Season May Be A Bad One